Protect your canines from ticks

We’ve seen more and more activity from ticks this year. Ticks are dangerous because complications associated with their bites are blood loss, anemia, paralysis, skin irritation or infection, and even more severe issues like Lyme disease.

First and foremost, check your dog for ticks every day. Brush your fingers through their fur, applying enough pressure to feel any small bumps. Don’t forget to also check between your dog’s toes, behind ears, under armpits and around the tail and head.

If your dog, unfortunately, gets a tick, don’t fret. We have some of the easiest ways to get rid of ticks at home that help save you from a trip to the vet or from hurting your dog!

Tick Twister – This tool makes it easy to extract the tick safely from the skin.

Peppermint Oil – Peppermint essential oil is the homeopathic version to tick removers. You put it on your dog and the tick crawls out.

The biggest no-no is trying to pry the tick out with tweezers or push it out with your fingers. Most of the time, the tick will crawl deeper into the skin and you only get half of it out. And of course, you can’t leave it in there!

Don’t forget to also protect your pup with routine flea and tick medication. Not a fan of all the chemicals? Essential oils are a safe and effective way to treat and prevent fleas and ticks. At Fitdog, we are in love Mauro Petcare Products, which uses a unique blend of essential oils. Mauro’s Essential Elements Shampoos: Flea & Tick Formula uses a special combination of lavender, lemongrass, and cedar wood to ward off fleas and ticks and the Pest Repellant & Dry Shampoo can be applied daily before outdoor activities. The best part, your dog will smell like lavender!